Rail-cleaner.



` No. 761,588. n

, P. C. HUNTER 'L w. o. BAMBLR.

RAIL CLEANER.

PPLI'OATION FILED DBO. 23, 1902'. No' MODEL.

TH: miams mens co.. PHofoLmlo.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

PATENTLD MAY 31.19504.A

Patented May 1904.

UNITED 'STATES PATENT' OFFICE.

PAULU. HUNTER AND WILLIAM c. BAMBEa-or NEW YORK, N. Y. l

' RAIL-CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part 'of Letters Patent No. I761,588, dated May 31, 1904:.

Applioationvfiled December` 23, 1902. Serial No.l36,318. (No model.)

To a/H 'wh/om it may concern:

, Be it known that-we, PAUL C. HUNTER and- WILLIAM C. BAMBER, both vcitizens of the United States, and residents of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Rail-Cleaner, of which the fol-l lowing is a full, clean-and eXact description.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for cleaning ice, snow, and the like from the third rails or other lelectricityconducting rails in electric-railway systems, the object being to provide a device for this purpose that shall be simple in construction and that may be readily applied to cars of eX- isting types.

vWe will describe a rail-cleaner embodying our invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming-a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in'both the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail-cleaner embodying our invention, and Fig. 2 is a section on the line m of Fig. 1. Y

Referring to the drawings, l designates the conducting-rail engaged Yby the contact-shoe 2, supported on a beam 3, this beam being connected by means of brackets 4 to a compensating bar 5. Mounted to move vertically with relation to the beam 3 is a frame 6which carries the brush. .Connected to this frame is a bar 7, movable through a block 8, attached to the beam 3. Between the upper end of said block 8 and a ring portion 9 of the frame surrounding the bar 7 is a spring ,10, while a lspring 11, arranged around the bar, engages with the lower side of said block 8 and the frame 6. The spring 11 is somewhat stronger than the spring 10, so as to normally hold the brush against the track when in operating position; The spring 10, however, wil-l assist in raisingthe frame with the brush when not required foruse. Ihe means, however, for raising the frame with the brush and its operating mechanism consists of lan air-cylinder 12, .receiving air-pressure through a pipel?, for operating a piston 14, the stem 1.5 of which connects with toggle-links 16 and 17, one of which .is pivotally connected to the frame 6,

the other having swinging connection with the beam 3. Obviously upon admitting air to the cylinder 1-2 the toggle-linkswill be moved to or toward vertical position, thus raising 'lthe frame and the parts carried thereby.

The brush 18, consisting of steel or other suitable material, has its journal-bearings in the frame 6, and on the journal is a pinion 19, meshing with a gear-wheel 20, which engages with another gear-wheel, 21, meshing with a pinion 22 on the shaft of the drivingwheel 23, these several gears and the driving-wheel being of course journaled in the frame. The driving-wheel 23 is designed to engage with the conducting-rail to impart motion to the brush. Preferably the periphery of the wheel will be ribbed, as indicated, to bite somewhat into the rail. By this system of gearing the brush will be rotated to throw the ice or snow. forward, thus thoroughly cleaning the track, so that complete contact may be made by the shoe.

When the frame is elevated by the means heretofore described, a locking-bolt 24:, mounted to move in an opening in the block 8 and pressed inward by a spring 25, will engage in y2. In an electric-'railway system, the combination with a contact-shoe carried by a car, of a frame, an air-pressure mechanism for elevating said frame, a brush mounted in the mounted on said beam and having avertical opening, a frame, a bar comprising a portlon of said frame and movable through the openbination with a shoe-carrying beam, of a block IOO ing in-said block, a Spring arranged between the upper portion of said block and the frame, a spring arranged between the lower portion of said block and the frame, the last-named spring being stronger than the first-named spring, a brush mounted in the frame, and means for imparting rotary motion to the brush.

4. In an electric-railway system, the combination with a beam for carrying the contactshoe, of a block mounted on said frame and having a vertical opening, a frame, a bar comprising a portion of said frame, movable through the block, a spring arranged between the lower portion of said block and the frame, an air-pressure cylinder, a piston therein, toggle-links having connection with the piston and with the frame and beam, means for locking the frame in elevated position, a brush carried by the frame, and means for imparting rotary .motion to the brush.

5. In an electric-railway System, the combination with a contact-shoe-carrying beam,

of a block mounted on the beam, a frame, a bar comprising a portion of said frame and movable through said block, the said bar having a notch, a spring-pressed locking-bolt movable in the block for engaging in said notch, a spring arranged between the upper portion of the block and the frame, a spring arranged between the lower portion of the block and the frame and stronger than the first-named spring, an air-pressure mechanism for elevating the frame, a brush mounted to rotate in the frame, a driving-Wheel adapted for engaging with a rail, and gear connection between said driving-wheel and the brush.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specilieation in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL C. HUNTER. IVILLIAM C. BAMBER.

Witnesses:

J No. M. RITTER, C. R. FERGUSON. 

